Tigers at the door

At Greenpeace India we are always looking for the most effective ways to communicate our messages – today in the hi-tech world of modern media that includes tweeting and texting, blogging and subvertising.

But there are times when going back to the old school way of doing things can be equally effective. Today I opted for some good old fashioned communications with Prime Minister Dr Singh as he was about to make key note speech to nearly 200 representatives of world governments at the UN's biodiversity conference in Hyderabad.

This afternoon I invited two tigers, who I befriended during my recent treetop protest, to join me to make clear to the PM that he has to stop the colossal carnage of forest destruction. At around 2.30 the three of us attempted to gain entry to the hall where Dr Singh was due to make his speech. All we wanted to do was get into the hall so we could ask the Prime Minister directly some questions.

I wanted in to ask the PM, "While his government's hosting this important conference on how nations across the globe can work together to protect the habitat and species of the planet, why is it continuing a policy of mass destruction of the forests to pave the way for even more mammoth coal mines?

The two Junglistan tigers wanted to ask him if news reports today are true and that his government have agreed to place another 54 coal blocks up for grabs to the highest bidder for even more mining.

For my two intrepid tiger friends, one issue that is critical for their survival is how much more forests will the PM agree to have felled before he realises that he is putting the existence of all tigers in the central belt at risk.

And the tigers being nice tigers had brought a question from the 14,000 forest dwellers whose homes and livelihoods are under threat from the wholesale destruction of huge swathes of forest lands.

Unfortunately the Prime Minister and his staff weren't in the mood to meet me or my two tiger allies to discuss these important points about protecting the hugely rich environment the PM seems hell bent on destroying. Nor was the Prime Minister in the mood to accept the petition, I have been promising to deliver to him that has over a quarter of a million signatures – all of them opposing his policies.

So barred at the door to the chamber, our intrepid tigers accepted defeat gracefully, and decided to return home but they vowed to they would continue in their fight to save India's forest regions. By now they will be well on the way back to their forest homes.

But I have one last question for the PM; how long before you wake up and start listening to the voices of ordinary Indian people who are demanding you stop this catastrophic crusade for coal that is destroying the precious Indian environment?

Update: Since sending us his blog, Brikesh and his two tiger friends were arrested and placed in custody. All of them were allowed to leave after 5 hours without any charges.The tigers were given special attention and were served milk for refreshment.